The \u201cengine\u201d is called T7-ORACLE and works by introducing an artificial DNA replication system into E. coli. Yep, you read that right; not all E. coli<\/a>\u00a0gives you an iffy belly \u2013 it\u2019s also widely used to produce proteins, as it grows easily and rapidly.<\/p>\n This second, separate replication system doesn\u2019t target E. coli\u2019s main, chromosomal DNA, leaving the host cell unaffected. Instead, it targets small, circular pieces of DNA called plasmids<\/a>, which are often introduced into bacteria for the purpose of producing large amounts of proteins.<\/p>\n The T7-ORACLE system.<\/p>\n Image credit: Scripps Research<\/p>\n According to the researchers, it\u2019s a simple system to set up. \u201cThe main thing that sets this apart is how easy it is to implement,\u201d said co-senior author Christian Diercks, an assistant professor of chemistry at Scripps Research. \u201cThere\u2019s no specialized equipment or expertise required. If you already work with E. coli, you can probably use this system with minimal adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n The team tested the system out with a gene encoding a protein that gives bacteria antibiotic resistance<\/a>, and gradually exposed E. coli cells to increasingly high doses of antibiotics. The results were impressively rapid; it took less than a week for a protein to evolve that could handle a dose up to 5,000 times higher than the first.<\/p>\n \u201cThis system represents a major advance in continuous evolution,\u201d said Diercks. \u201cInstead of one round of evolution per week, you get a round each time the cell divides \u2013 so it really accelerates the process.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hoped that the T7-ORACLE system could be at its most useful in medicine, helping to speed up the process of finding new and improved therapeutic proteins for all kinds of conditions, including cancers and neurodegenerative diseases<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s exciting is that it\u2019s not limited to one disease or one kind of protein,\u201d Diercks explained. \u201cBecause the system is customizable, you can drop in any gene and evolve it toward whatever function you need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[W]e can now evolve virtually any protein, like cancer drug targets and therapeutic enzymes, in days instead of months.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Schematic](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250807-schultz-evolution-engine-920x500.jpg\" "\\"Schematic")
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